The media and methods IT jobseekers are using.

This is my last blog based on the results of our research* into 2016/17 job movement intentions. This final part examines the changes between 2015/16 and 2016/17 in the recruitment channels that candidates use to find new jobs. When we reported on this study last year, I wrote that the results were “much as we would expect.” Let’s see whether much as changed in 2015/16…

The changes are relatively minor and are probably more easily seen on a table than in a chart. Remember that respondents could tick as many of the channels as they liked, reflecting the fact that no-one would reasonably be expected to rely on only one source for their next job.

2015/16

2016/17

% change

Job-boards

76%

69%

-8.7%

Recruitment agency/headhunter

84%

83%

-1.1%

Direct approach to a company

47%

45%

-3.8%

Social media

46%

40%

-12.4%

Newspaper or other print advert

8%

2%

-70.0%

Other (please specify)

9%

19%

114.4%

What do we make of these figures? Well, there is no room for complacency from recruitment consultants as we’re fractionally less popular as a source of jobs as we were a year ago. Personally, I suspect that this is actually a lot better than many would expect, given that there are a lot of recruiters (including our team at Be-IT) who are regularly chasing down good candidates. Despite the fact that the vast majority quite like being the recipient of a phone call that suggests someone rates them for a different job, in today’s competitive recruitment market it would not be a surprise to find some candidates prefer to do their own thing when it comes to finding their next job.

The slight decline in importance of job-boards is also unsurprising. Speaking to our competitors (as one does), Be-IT is not the only one finding that some job-boards deliver fewer candidates than in past years. Consequently, candidates see fewer jobs and act accordingly.

The other declines are unsurprising too: no-one seriously looks to print for job adverts nowadays, while the year-on-year figure for direct approaches to a company is more or less static. The slightly larger decline in social media is actually a bit of a red herring, because many respondents in the ‘other’ section actually cite Linkedin as a source of jobs – and we (and Google!) regard Linkedin as a social medium. If these were included, we think social media would have remained at the same level as last year.

Other than Linkedin, the main ‘other’ source respondents mentioned was their own personal networks, or “word of mouth” and “recommendations”. The person who wrote, “speaking to Mr Biggerstaff in the pub” was also spot-on. That’s a method I can wholeheartedly recommend!

Gareth Biggerstaff, MD, Be-IT Resourcing

* This research was carried out by thePotentMix, an independent third party, using Be-IT’s database of candidates, our consultants’ extensive Linkedin contacts, a SurveyMonkey and a complementary social media campaign.